Are you supposed to put one or two spaces after a period?
So which is it? According to the AP Stylebook, single-spacing is correct. The same goes for the Chicago Manual of Style. However, the Modern Language Association Style Center offers different advice, and suggests that writers use a single space after a period unless they have been explicitly told otherwise.
When did 2 spaces after a period change?
Early typewriters used monospaced fonts, which did not provide the amount of space needed for traditional sentence spacing. Typists solved this conundrum by typing two spaces at the end of a sentence. The two-space rule took hold in the early twentieth century and became the norm in many high school typing classes.
How many spaces are you supposed to put after a period?
two spaces
Leave one space after a period or other concluding punctuation mark, unless your instructor prefers two spaces. Whichever spacing you choose, be sure to use it consistently throughout your paper. See the MLA’s formatting guidelines for more information.
Why double space after period is wrong?
Monospaced type gives you text that looks “loose” and uneven; there’s a lot of white space between characters and words, so it’s more difficult to spot the spaces between sentences immediately. Because we’ve all switched to modern fonts, adding two spaces after a period no longer enhances readability, typographers say.
Is two spaces after a period wrong?
2. Nearly all style guides agree that one space is correct. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) was the only style guide that overtly recommended two spaces after a period, and even that long-time holdout for two spaces changed its guideline to one space in its 2019 update.
Do you use two spaces after your period?
QUICK TIP FOR THOSE WHO USE TWO SPACES: If you are someone who can’t break your two spaces after a period habit, have no fear!
How many spaces after a period of time should you write?
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) was the only style guide that overtly recommended two spaces after a period, and even that long-time holdout for two spaces changed its guideline to one space in its 2019 update.
Do two spaces after a period make reading more efficient?
This article is more than 3 years old. Do you see where the single spaces stop and the double spaces begin? The nation was rocked this week by a paradigm-shattering study: Science has definitively found that two spaces after a period in typed text provides the most efficient reading experience for readers.
How much space between sentences should you leave between periods?
In turn, most computer fonts will automatically give you enough room between sentences with one space. And, according to nearly all stylebooks, including The Associated Press Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style, you always use a single space after a period.